T’arq
Laila had warned her about him? T’arq watched, fascinated, as Krystal’s cheeks turned a bright pink. As his gaze skimmed over her face, her color deepened, spreading down her throat. He wondered just how far down it went.
“What have you done to make her angry?” Zac asked.
T’arq turned toward him, breaking his gaze from the two women, an uncomfortable feeling settling over him.
“Angry?” His gaze shot back and forth between Zac, who was scowling at him, and Krystal. Surely he had done nothing to upset her?
“Yes, why is she red?” The bright green gaze of the other man’s intelligent eyes speared T’arq, and he gaped, mouth opening and closing like a fish. He hadn’t upset her, had he?
“She’s red because she’s embarrassed,” Laila hissed as she approached them. “And she’s getting more embarrassed at the two of you making a fuss.”
She was right. Krystal had ducked her head and disappeared around the far side of the stealth ship, out of view, but not before he’d seen her grimace at the attention. T’arq swallowed and looked at his feet. He felt like a child. He was normally so good at reading people’s reactions, including the humans on his team. At knowing what people were thinking and feeling. But there was something about the small woman that had him second-guessing himself.
What had he done that Laila had felt the need to warn her sister about him?
He didn’t want to think about it. He turned and walked toward the ship, needing distance and time to clear his mind.
He slid his hand over a recessed panel which glowed at his touch and, with a hiss, the hatch on the top of the stealth ship opened. T’arq reached up, hands above his head, to grab the wing, intending to pull himself up to the cockpit, but paused as the sounds of footsteps approached. He turned.
“How does it work?” Krystal’s brows drew together in concentration as she stared at the panel T’arq had just touched.
He dropped his arms, turning to lean against the side of the ship. “It’s activated by the heat of my hand, and by touch.”
“Hmm,” she murmured, running her hands over the panel.
T’arq watched as she tried to get the panel to repeat what it did for T’arq, grunting in frustration when it wouldn’t work.
“Here,” he said, reaching for her hand and covering it with his own. Her small palm lay flat against the ship, his larger one completely swallowing it as he gently pressed her fingers flat.
“Oh!” she gasped, stiffening and lifting her head so her wide open brown eyes met his.
His lips twitched at her reaction, certain this time that he was reading her correctly. He smiled and her eyes opened even further, a feat he thought was nearly impossible, and her mouth dropped open.
“Everything all right? I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and he couldn’t resist flicking his tongue out to lick his bottom lip.
“It’s OK. I should be used to it by now,” she sighed.
“Used to what?” he asked, holding still as he willed himself not to move closer. Her hand was cool under his, the fingers delicate and small compared to his larger ones.
“Laila wanting to protect me. I’m sorry about what she said,” Krystal’s chin lifted, a note of steel entering her voice. “I can look after myself. I’m not a child.”
He grinned, white teeth with just the slightest hint of fang peeking out over his bottom lip. “Oh, I am aware of that, little mouse.”
“Little mouse?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
He grinned. “It suits you.”
She looked down at herself. “The only thing little about me is my height.”
His smile spread. “You are diminutive, yes. That’s not what I meant, though.”
“Oh? What did you mean?”
T’arq paused, watching as spots of color appeared on her cheeks. Definitely not angry, then. “Maybe I’ll tell you sometime. Until then, you can wonder.”
